


Mixed Signals

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Bucky Barnes x Reader Series [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, cursing, implied sexual situations, mentions of trauma and ptsd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:44:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21593332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: After a particularly bad break-up, you start spending your Saturday nights at home alone.  When your brand-new wireless headphones accidentally pick up a distress call from a superhero, you quickly step up to get him the help he needs.  But once the connection is broken, you’re left wondering if you’ll ever hear from him again.
Relationships: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Series: Bucky Barnes x Reader Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/774297
Comments: 2
Kudos: 68





	Mixed Signals

**Bucky Barnes x Reader**

**Summary** – After a particularly bad break-up, you start spending your Saturday nights at home alone. When your brand-new wireless headphones accidentally pick up a distress call from a superhero, you quickly step up to get him the help he needs. But once the connection is broken, you’re left wondering if you’ll ever hear from him again.

**Warnings** – Fluff, Mentions of trauma and PTSD…probably a curse word or two

**Word Count** – 9.6K

**Notes **\- Parts 1 - 8 of 8

** _**Updated August 30, 2019**_ **

** _ _ ** [Masterlist](https://beccaanne814.tumblr.com/post/174989754188/masterlist) ** _ _ **

[[MORE]]

Saturday nights were the worst. Since she’d broken up with her boyfriend a few months ago, she’d sworn off men and spent her weekends at home nursing her bruised ego. She couldn’t claim a broken heart since her ex had turned out to be a complete jerk, but it still hurt that he’d been the one to tell her she didn’t quite meet his needs in a girlfriend. 

She almost wished she’d taken her friends up on the offer to go out, but at the same time, she was glad to be lounging on the couch in her pajamas while she listened to some music and scrolled through her social media feed. She’d just bought herself a new set of wireless earbuds and had been anxious to try them out. Skipping over the hoards of baby photos, she went straight for the cat videos as her favorite music played quietly in the background.

_“Steve, do you copy?”_

YN sat up and narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out where the mysterious voice had come from.

_“Steve, do you copy?”_

At first, she’d thought she’d just imagined it, but when he spoke again, YN knew that she wasn’t imagining it.

“Hello?”

She let out a huff as she rolled her eyes. It was bad enough that she sequestered herself in her apartment every weekend, but now she was basically talking to herself. It was official—she’d lost her mind.

_“Who’s this? How did you get on this frequency?”_

Her heart began to race as she realized that this was really happening. She scrambled up from the couch to retrieve her phone in the kitchen where she’d left it charging. For a moment she wondered if she’d somehow accidentally called someone. Looking at the screen, all she saw was the shortcut for her music.

_“Hey doll, you still there?”_

YN debated on whether or not she should answer the man. He sounded like he was in trouble and needed help. Pacing her kitchen she weighed the pros and cons of the situation. Obviously, the worst case scenario was that he was a serial killer that might be trying to lure her to her death, but he could just be a harmless guy in need of assistance.

Cursing her bleeding heart—the one that had caused her to stay with her douche bag of an ex for so long—she finally answered him.

“I’m still here.”

_“Who are you?”_

She took a deep breath and held it. This was it—either she tried to help this guy out, or she pulled out the ear buds and tossed them in the trash.

Squeezing her eyes shut and burying her face in her hands, she answered him. “I’m YN. Who are you?”

_“The name’s Bucky—Bucky Barnes.”_

YN cocked her head as she tried to figure out why that name sounded familiar. Before she could come up with an answer, he started speaking again.

_“I got separated from my team…”_

“Your team?” she interrupted.

_“Yeah,” he said with a huff. “Steve and Natasha took off after the target and some of the bastards blew up my bike. I’ve been trying to radio in to let them know I was stranded, but you’re the only person I’ve been able to reach in the past half hour.”_

At the mention of Steve and Natasha, it all became clear to YN. He was talking about the Avengers. With this new knowledge, the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Bucky Barnes was the Winter Soldier.

“Where are you?” she asked as she began to wring her hands in excitement.

_“I honestly have no clue—somewhere in upstate New York. Where are you?”_

“I’m in Manhattan,” she answered as she tried to figure out a way to help him. “Is there someone I can call for you?”

_“You’d do that for me?”_

“I mean, I guess. I can’t just leave one of the Avengers stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Do you have someone’s number?”

Bucky began rattling off Steve’s number and YN scrambled to find a pen and paper to jot it down.

“I’m probably going to lose you once I make the call,” she warned him.

_Bucky let out a audible breath. “If he doesn’t pick up, just leave him a message. He’ll come back eventually once I don’t show up at the compound.”_

“Okay, I’m going to call him now.”

_“Wait.”_

YN’s breath froze in her chest. Terrified that something horrible was going to happen to him, she whispered, “Are you okay?”

_“I’m sorry—I’m good. I just wanted to thank you.”_

“Oh, it’s no problem. It’s not everyday that I get to help out a superhero.”

_“I don’t know about all that,” he said with a laugh. “Thanks again, YN.”_

“Goodbye, Bucky.”

She hesitated as her finger hovered above the screen of her phone. Once she unlocked it, she’d be severing the connection between them, and she was reluctant to do so. Knowing that he was depending on her to get in touch with his friends, she unlocked the screen and clicked on the phone app. Dialing the number he’d given her, she held her breath as it began ringing. Just as he’d predicted, she got his friend’s voicemail—Captain America’s voicemail. With a shaky voice, she tried to explain the situation without sounding like a lunatic and quickly hung up.

Once the call had ended, she stared down at her phone. “Bucky?”

When she was met with silence, she let out a disappointed sigh. She had no idea how her headphones had tuned into his frequency, but now the connection had been lost. Chalking it up to Fate, she padded her way back to the couch and grabbed her tablet to continue scrolling through stupid cat videos. She considered making a post about what had just happened to her, but she knew no one would believe her.

As the days went by, she frequently checked the news for news about Bucky. When no reports came out about a missing Avenger she took it as a good sign that the Captain had gotten her message and gone back to rescue his friend.

It was a shock then when after a week, she got a knock on her door and found a delivery man with a bouquet of flowers. She was confused for a moment as she thanked him and shut the door. Pulling the card from its tiny envelope, she read the message and smiled.

_“Thanks for helping me out the other day, doll. I owe ya one.” —Bucky Barnes_

YN sat across from the creepiest guy she'd ever met and wondered how she'd gotten herself into this mess. It had been a few weeks since the incident with the Winter Soldier, and her best friend had been convinced that she'd lost her mind so she'd pushed YN into meeting a friend of a friend for dinner. As much as she'd hated to admit it, she'd started to get a little stir-crazy in her apartment every weekend. She'd figured it couldn't be all that bad.

She was wrong.

Not only was Dave a self-important know-it-all, he had a way of turning everything he said into a crude innuendo. She'd tried to pass it off as nerves at first, but with each rude remark, she was slowly starting to become uncomfortable with the situation.

The waiter brought their desserts and YN was glad they were one step closer to ending the date. She'd been looking forward to this course since this restaurant was famous for their homemade chocolate eclairs.

As she took a bite of the heavenly pastry, Dave gave her a lewd wink and she braced herself for the next round of filthy double entendres.

"I see you like 'em nice and thick with a creamy white center." He smirked as he reached down to grab his crotch. "I've got something you're going to love later tonight."

YN felt her stomach roll over in disgust. Did he really think she was going to sleep with him on the first date? As her distaste turned into anger, she carefully laid down her fork. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but before she could say a word, Dave was being hauled out of his seat by a very large, and very angry man.

"That's it," her mystery savior said through gritted teeth. "Apologize to the lady, go pay the bill, and then get the hell out of here before I really lose my temper."

Dave's smirk had faded and YN was pretty sure he was about to piss his pants. Nodding dumbly, he looked at her through eyes wide with fear as he stammered out an apology. The mystery man let him go and Dave scurried over to the maître d' to settle the bill before he all but ran out of the restaurant.

"Thank you," YN said, still a little breathless from the shocking turn of events.

Her savior turned from a warrior to a shy schoolboy in a matter of seconds and YN was surprised when a blush began to creep up from beneath his collar as he hung his head. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't place it.

He peeked up at her through his lashes. "Are you okay? That guy was a real jerk."

"I'm fine," she said as she tried to figure out where she'd seen him before. "Do I know you?"

Her question seemed to make him even more nervous than before as he began to rub the back of his neck and glance around the room looking for an easy escape. She hated that he felt so uncomfortable since she'd never more grateful for another human being's interference in her life.

She motioned toward the seat Dave had just been occupying. "Please have a seat. He didn't touch his dessert, and something that delicious shouldn't go to waste."

He hesitated for a moment before letting out a deep breath and pulling out the chair.

"I'm YN," she said as she gave him a warm smile.

"I know," he whispered.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, and worry began to settle over her again.

"I'm Bucky."

"Bucky?" All at once her worries washed away and was replaced with a feeling of elation. 

"I told you I owed ya one," he reminded her as a nervous smile spread across his face.

His remark made her remember the bouquet of flowers he'd sent to her apartment. "That reminds me—how did you know where I lived?" Before he could answer, she held up a finger as another thought crossed her mind. "It's not a coincidence that you showed up here tonight, is it?"

This time, the blush spread up his neck and engulfed his cheeks in a red hue that was reminiscent of a really bad sunburn.

"Uh, well, the flowers. . .that was Stark's idea," Bucky began to explain. "He got your number off of Steve's phone and ran a search."

She waited to see if he would answer her second question, and when he didn't she prompted him again. "The flowers were sweet—thank you—but you still haven't answered my other question."

"Yeah," he said as he drew out the word. "Stark may have told me about your lousy ex, and. . .I don't know. . .I guess I just felt like you needed someone to keep an eye out for you."

"Have you been following me?" Her voice had a hysterical edge to it that had him looking back up at her in surprise.

"No," he quickly stated before his face fell. "Well, maybe, but not in a creepy way. I've just been making sure you get home safe. . .you know. . .in case some dude decides to try to mug you—or worse."

She wanted to be mad that he'd completely invaded her privacy, but at the same time he was like her personal knight in shining armor ready and willing to defend her honor. She couldn't really fault him for looking her up—she'd done a few days of research on him after their brief conversation a few weeks prior.

Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, she slid the untouched dessert closer to him. "Eat your dessert—you earned it."

"You're not mad?"

The look he was giving her could only be described as puppy dog eyes, and she'd always had a soft spot for puppies. "Things with that asshat could've gotten ugly. I was lucky that you were nearby to put the fear of God in him." She shrugged and gave him a wicked smile. "Being friends with the Winter Soldier might have it perks."

Bucky picked up the dessert fork and speared a bite of the tiramisu Dave had left behind. "It's just Bucky these days."

She reached over and gently touched the gloved hand resting on the table. She saw him stiffen, so she gave his hand a squeeze to show him she wasn't scared of him or his prosthetic arm.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Bucky."

His eyes met hers across the table as he ran his thumb over her knuckles. "The pleasure is all mine, YN."

"Ladies and Gentleman," Steve began as he stood behind the podium facing the crowd of people in front of him. "I want to thank you all for your generous donations and for coming out tonight to help us celebrate the opening of this amazing facility. 

"Since the dawn of time, there have been wars, but throughout history the toll war takes on a human being has been vastly ignored for the sake of progress. It's time that stopped. Today in America, we've been very fortunate that active battle has only touched us briefly, but after the Battle of New York, it became apparent that it's not just the soldiers that voluntarily ride off to battle—but also the people unfortunate enough to get caught in the crossfire—who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

Tony nodded to Steve as he took his place behind the mic. "Science and medicine are slowly starting to come to grips with the lifelong effects of PTSD, and it is our hope that this facility will be able to help those individuals regain their lives in the aftermath of their trauma. 

"Like Captain Rogers stated, PTSD doesn't just affect the men and women who fight on the front lines. Anyone who experiences a traumatic event in their life can develop PTSD. It's estimated that seventy percent of Americans have experienced a traumatic event—and that number's probably gone up considerably since New York—and about twenty percent of those people go on to develop PTSD.

"Studies estimate that five percent of Americans—that's about thirteen million people for those of you who don't want to do the math—currently have PTSD, and approximately eight percent of adults will develop it at some point in their lives.

"Rape victims have a ninety-four percent chance of developing PTSD after their assault." Tony paused and stared at the teleprompter. "Is that statistic right? Damn." He shook his head and kept going. "The point is, people—post traumatic stress disorder affects more people than we care to realize. And it's time we started caring."

Tony stepped aside to let Steve finish the speech. "Tony's right—it's time we started caring, and you've shown your willingness to do so by helping us to raise the money needed to build the James Buchanan Barnes Trauma Recovery Center. You've all seen the news footage, so you know that Bucky Barnes is America's longest serving Prisoner of War. He's suffered more trauma than any of us can ever imagine, but he's living proof that with the right support and treatment, people can learn to overcome their trauma and go on to live full, productive lives. Bucky isn't the only soldier to suffer from PTSD, and unfortunately, he won't be the last." Steve paused and caught Bucky's eye in the crowd before he finished. "But it was his experiences that forced all of us to come to terms with our own mental health. Even superheroes aren't immune to PTSD, and if coming forward to speak about our own experiences helps even one person, then it's worth it.

"So, again, I'd like to thank you all for helping to make this treatment center a reality and hopefully we can see more of these centers opening up around the country."

YN stood beside Bucky as the audience all began applauding Steve and Tony. Some of the people looked over at her boyfriend and gave him encouraging nods, but she knew that Bucky was hating every minute of this.

"It's almost over," she whispered in his ear as she slipped her arm through his.

He looked down at her and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "Thanks for being here, doll."

"It's nothing," she told him with a wave.

"It's not nothing," he argued. "We've only been seeing one another for a few weeks now. . ."

"A few amazing weeks," she interjected with a wink.

"A few amazing weeks," he amended before continuing his thought, "and this is a lot to ask of a civilian."

"Are you kidding? I'm at a party catered by a five-star restaurant with the Avengers. This is a dream come true."

He chuckled at her assessment of the situation. Her sunny outlook on life was one of the reasons why he was slowly starting to fall in love with her. "Have I mentioned how happy I am that it was you my comms picked up that night?"

She scrunched up her face as she thought for a moment. "Only about a thousand times. But that's okay, I'm pretty happy with the way things have turned out so far."

"Me, too, doll. Me too."

Bucky stood in front of the long, glass-encased counter with Steve and tried not to get overwhelmed. 

"Seeing anything you like?" Steve asked hopefully.

"Not really," Bucky said as he slowly shook his head. "I know what I want, but I just don't see anything like it here."

Steve furrowed his brow. "If you told me what you were looking for, I might be able to help."

Bucky sighed as his shoulders drooped. "I really want Mom's ring." He turned to Steve with a look of nostalgia in his eyes. "You remember it?"

"Of course I do." Steve smiled as the memory popped into his mind. "It had that fancy setting, right?"

"Filigree."

"I'm surprised you even know what that word means."

Bucky rolled his eyes and playfully punched Steve in the shoulder. "Shut up, punk."

Steve cocked an eyebrow. "Make me, jerk."

"Can I help you gentlemen?" a petite young woman asked as she hesitantly ventured over to wait on them.

"I apologize for my friend," Bucky said with a sideways glance in Steve's direction. "I can't take him anywhere nice."

The saleswoman looked skeptically at Steve. "Aren't you Captain America?"

Steve pulled the ball cap down lower on his head and hunched his shoulder. "Not right now, ma'am."

She nodded and gave him a conspiratorial smile as she mimed zipping her lips. "Your secret's safe with me."

"I'm looking for an engagement ring, Maci," Bucky said as he read her name off the burnished gold name tag pinned to her blouse. "Maybe you can help me."

"I'd be glad to," Maci said as she studied Bucky carefully. "You're a superhero as well, aren't you?"

Steve felt his heart fill with pride. After the opening of the James Buchanan Barnes Trauma Recovery Center, the public's opinion of his best friend had drastically changed. To Steve, Bucky had always been a hero, and he was glad the rest of the world was finally starting to realize that as well.

Clapping a hand on Bucky's shoulder, Steve gave Maci a wink. "Today he's just a love-sick fool looking for the perfect ring for his best girl."

Maci smiled and turned back to Bucky. "Tell me what you're looking for."

Bucky took a breath and let it out in a huff. "My dad bought my mother this really intricately designed ring when he proposed. The stone was raised a bit and there were all these little S's down the sides."

"Hmm," Maci said as she scrunched up her nose. "I don't think we have anything like that. Do you have a picture of it? We have an amazing jewelry maker on staff that can design just about anything."

Bucky's smile fell as he shook his head. "I wish I did, but. . ."

"I could draw it," Steve interrupted once he'd seen how disappointed Bucky was. "I remember exactly what it looks like."

Maci's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Captain America can draw?"

"I'm more than just a shield," he teased with a wink. "Do you have any paper?"

"Give me just a second," she said as she turned back to the office behind the counter to retrieve the supplies he'd need.

"You really think you can draw it?" Bucky asked with a hopeful look in his eye.

Steve nodded as Maci returned with the pencil and paper. Pulling up the image of Mrs. Barnes' ring in his mind's eye, he began to sketch it out. Every now and then, Bucky would offer his input and Steve would add whatever detail he mentioned. When he was finished, he'd drawn a perfect replica from several different angles.

"Will this work?" Steve asked as he handed the finished drawing back to Maci.

"It's beautiful," she said with a sigh. "Both the ring and the drawing." She smiled up at Bucky. "She's one lucky lady, Sergeant Barnes."

"Yes, she is," he agreed. "Now let's just hope she says yes."

With her elbows on her desk and her chin cradled in her hands, YN stared out the tiny window of her office cubicle. She'd been lucky enough to get one with a view, but on days like the one they were having, it was almost impossible to resist the allure of the city sprawling out on the other side of the pane of glass.

It was a warm spring day and the weatherman had predicted they'd see seventy degrees sometime after lunch. The sun was shining brightly, reflecting off the multitude of skyscrapers visible beyond the confines of her office. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it's blue hue was like something out of painting.

On her way to work that morning, she'd noticed that some of the shops along her route had started putting out their pots of early spring flowers—the tulips and daffodils dancing cheerily in the breeze as though they were waving hello to her as she passed.

The world seemed to be a magical place, and she couldn't find a single reason not to smile as she continued to look out at her small piece of the world. If she craned her neck and squinted her eyes, she could just make out the tip of the Empire State Building in the distance, and for some reason that day, it made her even happier that she had this particular view.

"YN, did you send that fax I asked you to?"

The sound of her boss's voice brought her out of her reverie. "Hmm?"

"The fax," she repeated as her eyebrows drew together in frustration. "The contractor can't move forward until he gets the estimates we worked up."

"Oh, right," YN said as her eyes grew large and she began frantically shuffling through papers on her desk. "The estimates. . .they're around here somewhere."

Mrs. Greene was starting to get angry. "I asked you to fax that over an hour ago. What's wrong with you today, YN?"

Finding the fax, YN immediately went to the machine and began typing in the number of the contractor. "I'm so sorry—I'm just a little distracted today." When her boss gave her a questioning look, she felt as though she would burst if she didn't say something. "Bucky proposed!"

"What?" 

YN held out her left hand with the glittering diamond adorning her ring finger. "He asked me on Saturday, and I swear my feet haven't touched the ground since."

Mrs. Greene's anger faded in an instant as a huge smile spread across her face. "Well of course you can't be expected to concentrate on anything today." She took YN's hand in her own so she could get a better look at the engagement ring. "He's got good taste—he's definitely a keeper."

Once Mrs. Greene had let go of her hand, YN held it closer to her face so she could watch the lights bounce off the facets—something she'd yet to grow tired of in the past few days. "He had it special ordered so it would be the exact same design as his mother's ring."

"That's so romantic, and you deserve to be happy, my dear," Mrs. Greene began with a warm smile, "but unfortunately, you're going to need get your head out of the clouds long enough to get your work done today."

YN gave her a sheepish look. "I will, Mrs. Greene. I promise I won't let you down again."

Her boss offered one more round of congratulations before leaving, and YN sat back down at her desk. Focusing on work today was going to be extremely difficult since all she wanted to do was dream about wedding plans and what her life with Bucky would be like once they were married. With a sigh, and one last glance out the window, she put aside her fanciful thoughts and focused on her job—there'd be plenty of time to discuss all of her plans with Bucky after work.

YN stared at the white satin pumps in her hand. She was already dressed and ready to go except for the shoes. Once she slipped them on her feet, she'd be ready to walk down the aisle to pledge her life, and her love, to the man who'd stolen her heart one lonely Saturday night. If anyone had told her that she'd end up rescuing a stranded Avenger through her wireless headphones, she'd have called them crazy. And she'd have never believed them if they told her she would end up marrying him almost two years later.

But here she was.

As she held the shoes in her hands, her mind went back to another pair of shoes she'd worn. They hadn't been as fancy as the ones she'd chosen to compliment her wedding gown, but they still held a special place in her heart.

_____________________

_"You ready, doll?" Bucky asked as he gave YN an anxious look._

_"Almost," she told him with a smile. "I just need to get my shoes."_

_She winked at him from the doorway of her bedroom and went to her closet to find a comfortable pair of shoes. Bucky hadn't told her where they were going, so she hadn't been sure how to dress. Pulling out a pair of old ballet flats, she slipped them on and headed back into the living room._

_"I'm ready," she announced as she grabbed her bag._

_"You're not wearing those, are you?"_

_YN looked down at her feet and then back up at Bucky's concerned face. "What's wrong with my shoes?"_

_"Nothing." He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "They just don't seem that practical."_

_She gave him a wary look. "I've walked miles in these shoes, Bucky. They'll be just fine."_

_He held out a hand to stop her from leaving the apartment. "I'm sure they're great, but won't you be more comfortable in a pair of boots? You still have those really nice knee-high black ones, don't you?"_

_"Yeah," YN said hesitantly. Why was Bucky so concerned about her shoes?_

_He looked down at his watch. "We need to get going."_

_"But I take it we're not leaving until I change my shoes?"_

_"Humor me?" he asked with a smile._

_YN's heart melted. It didn't matter what Bucky asked of her when he smiled at her like that. The way his eyes crinkled up at the edges and his eyes sparkled always did her in. _

_With a sigh, she went back to the bedroom and grabbed a pair of boot socks before switching out the flats for the boots. She had no idea what he was up to, but if wearing boots made him happy, then she'd wear the damn boots._

_"Better?" she asked as she walked into the living room and did a few turns so he could see the boots from every angle._

_He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Much. Now let's go before we're late."_

_"Where are we going? You haven't told me."_

_"It's a surprise."_

_Knowing that he'd never tell her until he was ready, she resigned herself to being in the dark and let him lead her down to the street. When she saw his bike sitting at the curb, it was then that she realized why he'd wanted her in boots. Her flats weren't practical for riding a motorcycle since they tended to slip off too easily._

_"You could've just told me you had the bike today," she said as she slipped on the spare helmet and sat behind him on the seat._

_"Huh?" he asked with a confused look. "Oh, right. You need sturdy shoes for the bike."_

_She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling he wasn't being completely honest with her. Dismissing her suspicions, she told herself that she'd enjoy whatever he had planned and stop stressing out over little things that didn't matter._

_When he began weaving through traffic and headed out of the city, she began to grow wary again. Where was he taking her?_

_The day was beautiful with the sun shining brightly and the breeze cool against her as Bucky began to speed up once they were on the open highway. Riding the bike with Bucky was always a treat because she loved being able to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly._

_He drove for what seemed like hours before turning off onto a two-lane highway that was only marked with a route number. There were no signs clueing her in to where he was heading, but as they went down the road, she began to see farms with cattle grazing in the fields. She'd never been this far upstate, and she was enjoying the scenery too much to worry about the destination._

_She saw the sign for the stables just before he made the turn onto the dirt lane that was lined on either side by wooden split-rail fences. At the end of the drive was a large red barn and a few horses in the paddock off to the side._

_Bucky parked the bike and lowered the kickstand. He waited until she was off the back before swinging his leg over and taking her helmet._

_"What are we doing?" she asked with a wide smile._

_"You like horses, don't you?"_

_"Ah," she said as realization dawned on her. "This is why I needed the boots. Smooth one, Barnes."_

_He leaned over and kissed her. "I wanted to surprise you."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you, too."_

_"Sergeant Barnes?" _

_YN looked up to see a man in a pair of faded blue jeans with a button down chambray shirt and scuffed cowboy boots coming their way._

_"Mr. Davies," Bucky said as he extended his arm to shake the other man's hand. _

_"Call me Mike," Mr. Davies said as he turned to smile at YN. "Glad y'all could make it out today. It's a beautiful day for a ride."_

_Bucky and YN both agreed it was before Mike led them to the paddock where he already had two horses saddled and ready to go. He helped YN mount her horse while Bucky swung as easily into the saddle as he did onto his motorcycle._

_"We're going to take an easy route out toward the river," Mike told them once he'd mounted his own horse and began leading them out of the paddock. "I wasn't sure what your experience level was, so I chose two horses that are used to the trail. Just sit back and relax and they'll lead you right where you're supposed to go."_

_YN looked over at Bucky and smiled. In all the months they'd been dating, he never failed to surprise her with his imaginative date ideas. She wasn't sure how he would ever top this one, but she knew he'd figure out something._

_Mike pointed out different features of his property as they rode, and YN began asking him questions about his life. He told her that he was married with two kids already in college. His wife managed the books for him while he gave lessons and led the trail rides. He told her he'd been running his ranch for over forty years, and he hoped to do it for another forty if his back didn't give out on him._

_When they reached the river, Mike helped her dismount and then nodded toward a small clearing near the river bank. "Susie's got y'all set up over there. I'll be back in a few hours to bring y'all back to the stable."_

_"You're leaving?" YN asked as a look of confusion came over her face._

_"Yes, ma'am," Mike said as he tipped his hat and gave Bucky a wink. "Y'all have a nice picnic lunch and be careful if you get in the river—it can get rough in spots."_

_With that final warning, Mike mounted his horse again and began riding back the way they'd come. YN turned to Bucky and gave him a questioning look._

_"I thought it would be fun to ride out here and spend the afternoon together," he told her as he took her hand and led her to the clearing._

_Mike's wife had gone all out for the picnic. The wicker basket sitting on edge of the red and white checked blanket was filled with enough food to feed an army. YN hadn't realized how hungry she was until she began pulling plastic containers out of the basket and opening them up to see what delicacies they held. There was even a bottle of champagne with two plastic wine glasses nestled in the corner, but Bucky took those and set them aside for later. _

_With the sun shining warm against their faces, they lounged on the blanket and ate their fill. YN felt bad for not being able to eat it all, but Bucky assured her that it was fine. Once she'd packed everything back into the basket, she'd leaned against him and closed her eyes. She could feel his fingers as they lightly grazed the skin of her arm and she began to struggle to stay awake._

_"Doll?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"I need you to wake up," Bucky said as he gently nudged her._

_"But I want to nap for a little longer," she complained with her eyes still tightly shut._

_She heard him chuckle and a smile spread across her face._

_"We haven't opened the champagne yet," he reminded her._

_With a groan, she relented and opened her eyes. Stretching her limbs, she looked up at him and wasn't shocked to see him smiling down at her._

_"You're beautiful," he told her as he leaned down and kissed her._

_Not one to waste a perfect opportunity, she deepened the kiss and was rewarded with a deep-throated moan from him when her tongue swept past his lips to tangle with his. She wasn't sure she was willing to chance making love outdoors, but she didn't see any harm with a steamy make-out session before Mike came back._

_But Bucky had other plans. Pulling away, he kissed her forehead and sat back._

_She rose to a seated position and stared at him. "What's wrong?"_

_He shook his head. "Nothing. I just had something else planned."_

_"Yeah?" she asked with a cheeky wink._

_"Not that."_

_She laughed and waited to see what he had in store for her._

_"I brought you out here for a reason," he said as he looked out over the river. "This isn't the exact spot that I was stranded that night, but it was near the Hudson River, so it's close enough."_

_"Why did you want to bring me to where you'd been stranded?"_

_He turned back to her and his face grew serious. "Because that's the night my entire life changed."_

_Her heart began to swell and she wondered if it was possible to love this man any more than she already did._

_"Hearing your voice over the comms that night. . ." He paused to find the right words. "It was like the voice of angel sent to rescue me from the nightmare I'd been living for years."_

_"Bucky. . ."_

_"Let me finish."_

_She nodded and willed herself to stay silent._

_"I knew before I ever met you that you were going to change my life. And I was right." He took another breath and ran his hand through his hair. "The longer I'm around you, the more I realize that I don't ever want to spend a day without you in my life._

_"I love you, YN YLN."_

_"I love you, too, Bucky Barnes. And I don't want to even try to imagine my life without you in it."_

_He nodded his head as he let out a deep breath. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a small black, velvet box and opened it. "Well, in that case, will you marry me?"_

_YN had known from the moment he'd begun speaking that he was leading up to this question, but it still caught her off guard. The tears in her eyes started clouding her vision and she tried blinking them away, but her emotions were too much to handle and she felt them start to trail down her cheeks._

_"Yes," she managed to say as he began to slip the ring onto her finger._

_He wiped the tears from her face with the pad of his thumb and lightly kissed her._

_____________________

YN set the white pumps on the ground and slipped her feet into them. As she stood, she looked down at the ring on her finger. He'd eventually told her that it had been modeled after his mother's and it had made it all the more special to her. But, just like the shoes, it was an ornament to be worn, but it wasn't what held them together. The love they shared was what was most important, and as long as she lived, she'd love James Buchanan Barnes with all of her heart, soul, body, and mind.

With her outfit complete, she walked into the other room to gather her closet friends and family together before she let this newest pair shoes lead her down the only path that truly mattered. There would be many more shoes in the years to come—but none would ever be as special as the ones that led her into the arms of the man she loved.

"So, how did you two meet?" YN asked Sam and Maria. She and Bucky had just gotten back from their honeymoon the weekend before, and Maria had gotten in touch with her and suggested they plan a double date. Sam and Maria were a fairly new thing, but YN had fallen in love with the tough-as-nails S.H.I.E.L.D. agent the moment she'd met her at one of Tony's fancy get-togethers. 

Maria and Sam exchanged a look before Sam grabbed his glass of whiskey and took a long sip. Maria rolled her eyes and turned back to YN. "You remember that mess in DC a few years back?"

YN nodded. It had been all over the news for weeks, so it had been impossible to miss. Before then, HYDRA had been nothing more than a history lesson she'd learned about in fifth grade, but all of a sudden everyone was scouring the internet trying to piece it all together from the files Natasha Romanoff had uploaded.

"Well, we met then," Maria said with a shrug.

"That's it?" Sam asked, looking affronted. "We met. End of story."

"What do you want me to say? It wasn't a memorable moment."

"For you," Sam muttered under his breath as he took another sip from his drink.

Maria's eyebrow shot up. "And what made it so memorable for you, huh?"

Sam set his glass down a little bit too forcefully and YN shot Bucky a worried glance. He reached under the table and squeezed her knee in reassurance.

Sam turned to YN and swiped his hand across her field of vision as though he was wiping away steam on a fogged up mirror. "Picture it—we'd just been attacked by the worst assassin in the history of mankind. . ."

"Hey," Bucky said, momentarily insulted before he remembered that he shouldn't be proud of the fact that the intelligence community thought he was a ghost story due to his impressive skill set.

"You had one job, man," Sam came back with a deadpanned expression. "One job, and you couldn't do it."

"I was up against some pretty formidable opponents. . .if you recall."

Sam gave YN a wink an pointed a thumb in his direction. "He's talking about this guy."

"The hell I am," Bucky said, chuckling. "You were the least of my worries. I don't remember much about that day, but I remember the look on your face when I busted through the windshield and ripped the steering wheel out of your hand."

"I'm sorry," YN said as her eyes grew large. "You did what?"

"I still haven't forgiven you for that, by the way," Sam told Bucky before addressing YN again. "Let me tell you, I hated this guy for so long for that. I hadn't even paid that car off yet." He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk plastered on his face. "You could say it was hate at first sight."

"The feeling was mutual, bird brain," Bucky retorted with a smirk of his own.

"Okay, okay," Maria said waving her hands in the air to signal a truce. "We've gotten way off topic here. YN doesn't care about your epic bromance, she's interested in my story."

YN wanted to agree with her, but she secretly wanted to hear more about Sam and Bucky's relationship in the early days after his escape from HYDRA. But she needed to show some female solidarity, so she tamped down her curiosity and focused on Maria. She'd get Bucky to tell her the details once they got home anyway.

"Absolutely," YN agreed, giving Maria a wink before looking over at Sam. "You'd just been attacked by the Winter Soldier?"

Feeling satisfied that all attention was back on him, Sam continued. "Steve and Nat were dealing with the Tin Man over here while I was taking out all the other HYDRA agents on the bridge. Once I'd neutralized them, I went looking for the others, but by the time I got there, Rumlow and the S.T.R.I.K.E. team were moving in. They had us surrounded and there were people with cellphones and news helicopters flying overhead, so we had nowhere to run."

He could see YN was eating up his story, so he leaned forward on his elbows and started talking a little softer. "They handcuffed us and threw us into the back of a van with two armed agents. Nat had taken a bullet from shit-head over there. . ." He nodded to Bucky. ". . .so she was bleeding out pretty fast. I was trying to talk sense into them about getting her a doctor when one of them used that cattle-prod taser on the other and then started beating the shit out of him."

"You should've seen the look on his face," Maria told YN. "I thought he was impressed, but now I'm starting to realize he was just turned on."

Sam scoffed and looked over at his girlfriend. "Are you kidding me? Of course I was turned on. This hot brunette pulls a badass double-agent move and rescues me from certain death? Woman, I was ready to marry you on the spot."

"Aww," Maria cooed as she leaned over and kissed him.

YN glanced over at Bucky and asked, "And why did they wait so long to hook up?"

Bucky shrugged, "S.H.I.E.L.D. fell apart and they were pretty busy trying to find all the undercover HYDRA agents."

Sam wrapped an arm around Maria's shoulder and smiled over at YN. "So there you have it. A story of both love—and hate—at first sight."

"Well, I thought it was adorable," YN said before glancing over at Bucky. "But tell me, do you still have that steering wheel as a souvenir?"

As YN sat on the back of Bucky's bike with her arms wrapped tightly around him, she couldn't help but remember the day he'd taken her to the river to propose. It was hard to believe that it had been almost two years since that day, and that this weekend would mark the one year anniversary since they'd been married.

A lot had happened in a year, and YN didn't know how it was possible to be more happy than she was in that exact moment.

She'd married the love of her life, gotten a promotion—and a pay raise, and she and Bucky had rented the cutest little apartment in Brooklyn to start their new lives in. 

Now they were headed to a rustic cabin in the mountains to celebrate the day they'd decided to pledge their undying love to one another.

Their honeymoon had been the typical beach resort in the Caribbean with excursions planned everyday for snorkeling, horseback riding, dolphin watching tours, and any other activity that seemed like it would be fun. They'd enjoyed every second of their getaway, but YN had wanted this trip to be different. She'd been extremely busy at work with her new responsibilities, and Bucky seemed to be off saving the world more than usual, so she was looking forward to a nice, long, quiet week hiking through the mountains and sitting by the fire pit at night watching the stars.

When Bucky pulled up in front of their home-away-from-home for the next week, she couldn't believe her eyes. She'd researched the cabin online, but seeing it firsthand was an altogether different experience.

"This is perfect," she exclaimed as she hopped off the bike and quickly walked around the entire perimeter of the cabin.

Bucky had already untied the straps holding their duffle bag to the back of the bike, and was busy unpacking the saddlebags when she made her way back around to the front of the cabin. He gave her a smile as she walked over to help.

"It's nice?" he asked.

"Wait until you see the view," she told him with a dreamy look in her eye. "Our bedroom overlooks the valley to the east, and the sunrises from there should be amazing."

"You really think we'll be up that early?"

He threw the strap of the duffle over his shoulder and walked up the stairs to the front porch. YN followed him and began fiddling with the combination door lock while he took a moment to glance around.

"We can always get up to watch it, and then go back to sleep," she suggested as she struggled with the door.

Bucky pressed his body up against hers and leaned into her ear. "We'll already be up, so we might as well. . ."

She wasn't sure why he felt the need to whisper the last bit of his suggestion, but she couldn't deny the rush of heat that settled low in her belly as his warm breath tickled the sensitive spot just behind her ear. 

Finally getting the door open, she dropped the bags she was carrying, and grabbed him by the lapels of his leather jacket. "We're up now, so why wait?"

With a low growl, Bucky dropped the duffle and picked her up by the backs of her thighs so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. With a firm, backwards kick, the door slammed shut behind them as he went in search of the most convenient flat surface he could find.

_______________________

YN turned her head and tried to focus. Her vision was still a bit blurry, but Bucky had that effect on her, and it always took a moment for all of her senses to start working properly after he'd had his wicked way with her.

"The kitchen looks nice," she commented as she looked over at the dark mahogany cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

"And the table's pretty sturdy," he remarked with a chuckle as he pulled her up into a sitting position and started helping her rearrange her clothes.

She knocked on the wood beneath her and nodded. "Good thing, too, or we'd have had an interesting start to our vacation."

They shared a laugh as Bucky helped her down from the table so they could go get their bags and find the bedroom. As they walked through the cabin, YN gazed at the wall of windows that looked out upon the wooded forest. She hoped that at some point during their trip, they'd see some non-threatening wildlife quietly grazing along the tree line.

Bucky threw himself across the bed once they'd found the bedroom tucked away at the back of the cabin. He rolled onto his side and gave her a smirk as he patted the mattress. "Think we need to try this out right now? Make sure it'll serve our needs for the week?"

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the large picture window that faced the valley. "Us non-supersoldiers need a few minutes to recover." She glanced back at him over her shoulder and saw the disbelieving look in his eye. With a sigh, she walked back and sat on the edge of the bed so she could run her fingers through his hair. "I might be talked into a long, steamy make-out session in the hot tub, though."

"Naked make-out session in the hot tub?" he asked as his eyes sparkled with interest.

She shrugged and playfully rolled her eyes. "If you insist."

_______________________

By the time the sun had risen the next morning, they'd properly christened every available surface in the house and YN wasn't sure how she was going to survive an entire week with nothing to do but make love to her husband. Life could be worse, she thought to herself as they lie in one another's arms and watched the sun begin to peek above the mountain range in the far distance.

"I needed this," Bucky murmured against her neck as he bent over to kiss the spot where her shoulder and collar bone met.

"I think we both did," she agreed.

He shifted and threw off the covers. "I think I'm going to grab a quick run. You want to join me?"

She stretched and moaned in contentment before rolling over and curling into a ball. "I think I'm going to stay here and grab a little cat nap."

Bucky nodded and began rummaging though the duffle for his workout gear. He knew she was watching every move he made, but he didn't mind. The show he was putting on for her right now would ensure that she'd been ready to join him the shower once he got back, so it was a win-win for him.

He sat on the edge of the bed and tied his shoes before reaching for the wireless ear buds. Just as he was about to slip them into his ears, he heard a sharp intake of breath behind him.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he glanced over his shoulder.

YN pointed angrily at the ear bud. "Uh-uh. Take those things out."

He held out the ear buds and looked at her curiously. "Why?"

She sat up and grabbed them out of his hands. "This is our vacation away from the real world. No work for me, and no Avenging for you." She opened the drawer to the nightstand and threw the ear buds in before slamming it shut. "I'm not taking the chance of Tony figuring out how to hack into them and call you back for some mission to save the world."

Bucky held up his phone and wiggled it. "They can always call, you know."

Grabbing that as well, she hit the button to turn it off and added it to the pile of electronics already in the drawer. "No phones, no technology at all."

He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked one eyebrow. "And what exactly are we supposed to do this week?"

"Nothing," she said smugly. "That's the whole point of a vacation. We get away from the world and we do nothing for one solid week." Lying back down, she fluffed the pillow under her head. "Now go get your run in so we can grab a shower. We have a lot of nothing planned for the day and I'm anxious to get started."

Bucky shook his head as he watched her close her eyes and snuggle deeper into the covers. Smiling, he stood and headed for the door. His life with YN had been a series of adventures since the first moment, but he doubted he'd ever grow tired of embarking on new ones—just as long as he always had her by his side.

** _~ The End ~_ **

___________________

_Author's Note: Thank you for reading Day 242 of my writing challenge! I hope you enjoyed it! What did you think of the ending? This Miniseries was such a cute one, and I'm sad to say goodbye to it, but this seemed like a great place to leave them. Which would you prefer, the Caribbean resort with tons of things to do, or a quiet cabin in the mountains with nothing to do but Bucky? Did you like how I brought the story full-circle and added in the bit about the wireless ear buds? I look forward to your comments and if you enjoyed this story, please consider voting!_


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